Gas and water separator



Sept. 9, 1930. N. H. ROBINSON E GAS AND WATER SEPARA'IOR Filed May 10,1928 CIUCIDUUDDDCICID WUU D UUDUUUDU lnncufoa JWHRobinaon (IC- Bron/20inL vsmi Eh Patented Sept. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF! NOAH H.ROBINSON, JOHN G. BROWNING, AND LEWIS A. SMITH, OFQUAKER, .wEsr

VIRGINIA i GAS AND WATER SEPARATOR Application filed. May 10,

In the natural gas field, it frequently happens that the gas coming fromthe well carries with it a considerable volume of water and this watertends to obstruct the flow of gas in the mains and also interferes withits successful use. It is the object of our invention to provide asimple inexpensive and efficient mechanism which may be placed in a gasline and will operate automatically to remove from the gas the waterwhich may be carried by the same. The invention also has for its objectthe provision of means whereby the water maybe discharged from theseparating mechanism, and a further object is to provide an arrangementwhereby the working parts may be easily removed from the casing of theseparator whenever inspection or repair of the same is deemed desirable.Other objects of the invention will appear incidentally in the courseof'the following description, and theinvention resides in certain novelfeatures which will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a separator embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse Section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged float-controlled valve.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided a casing 1 which may beconstructed of wrought metal or be a casting and which is illustrated asrectangular but may beof any detail section of the Y other approvedform. Through one side of the casing is an opening 2 and this opening iscovered by a plate 3 which is rigidly bolted to the side of the casingand upon which all of the working parts are mounted and carried.Suitable packing is, of course, provided between the edges of the plate3 and the side of the casing so as tocprevent leakage, and in the bottomof the casing is a depression or well 4, the purpose of which willpresently appear. At the ends of the casing at the top of the same areoffsets 5 from which i tn nipples 6 extend to be coupled into the gasline or main, portions of which are indicated at 7 it being understoodthat the nipples may be connected to the main by any ap- 1928. SerialNo. 276,696.

provedform of couplingwhichwill bes ulii-f to a point below thehorizontal plane of the axis of the gas main and the nipple 6 so thatthe mingled .gas and water entering the easing will be turned downwardlyto permit the water to collect in the casing. while the gas may continueto flow through the casing. It will be noted that a baffle is providedadjacent each end of the casing so thatno particular care is needed whenassembling thefcasing with the sections of the gas main inasmuch aseither end of thecasing may be presented toward'the source of flow. f i

Secured upon the inner side of the, cover or plate 8 at a convenientpoint in the height of the same is a post or bracket 9 which is providedat its inner end with an eye or collar 10 through which a vertical pipe11 passes. Theupper end of the pipe ll is connectedby an elbow 12 to ashort pipe 13 which extends through the coverto discharge outside thecasing. The pipe 11 extends nearly the full equipped with a T-coupling16 from which a branch pipe 17 extends through the cover 3 downwardlyand is formed, interinediate its ends, with a partition23 constitutingaseat for a needle valve 24. The, valve 24 is pivot- 'ally'attachedat itslower end to a lever 25 which is pivoted at one'end to the lower end ofa connecting rod 26 whichhas its upper. end pivoted to a fork 27 on oneend of afloat lever 28, a float 29 being carried by the opposite end ofsaid lever. The float lever is fulcrumed at the fork 27 upon a collar'30which issecured upon the pipe 11 said pipe, consequently, serving as apost to support the working elements. The end of the lever 25 remotefrom the connecting rod 26 is pivoted to the lower end of a link 31which depends from and is pivoted to an arm 32 preferably formedintegral with the valve casing 22,

75 height of the casing and near itslower end is and a brace 33 extendsfrom the outer end of said arm 32 and the lower outlet pipe 17 to impartrigidity to the structure supporting the needle valve and the means foractuating 5 the same.

Initially, the casing will be empty and the float 29 will be in itslowest position, as shown in the drawing. WVhen gas flow is establishedthrough the upper portion of the casing, the water carried by the gaswill be deflected to the bottom of the casing and will accumulatetherein, as has been stated. As the level of the water rises, the float,of course, will be caused to swing upwardly and eventually the movementof the float will be transmitted through the float lever and theconnectedparts to swing the valve lever 25 downwardly and unseat thevalve 24. As the level of the water in the casing rises, the gas in thetop of the casing will be put under increasing pressure and will,inturn, react upon the water so as to force the same through the valvecasing 2:2

past the valve seat and into the pipe 11. A

siphonic action through the pipe 11 will be thereby set up so that thewater will all be caused to flow from the casing and restore the normalconditions. As the water is discharged, the float, of course, willdescend and eventually the valve will be again seated. It is obviousthat if the cover 3 be removed all of the working parts will be likewiseremoved so that accessto the operating elements is easily had. Thedepression or well 4 in the bottom of the casing accommodates the valvelever 25 and the parts connected therewith so that the valve may bearranged at a very low point in the casing and all of the Waterpermitted to discharge. It is to be understood that the proportion ofthe parts is such that the valve will not be completely unseated untilthe float has reached a high point in the casing and it will remainunseated until the float is practically at the lowest point of itsmovement. The apparatus is very simple and may be installed at a verylow cost. The water eliminated from the gas may be discharged in anymanner most convenient under any given circumstances and if the main isexposed so that freezing is apt to occur the casing may be buried belowthe frost line, the main being, ofcourse, correspondingly bent so thatwhatever the location of the casing 1, the gas flowing from the wellmust enter and pass through the casing in order to reach the storagetanks or points of use. It sometimes happens that the gas pressure isrelatively low and the moisture content is excessive so that the loweroutlet 17 will not carry off the water as rapidly as desired, the upperoutlet 13 then coming into use. By having a long upright pipe of smalldiameter, a high siphonic action is attained so that all the water,except the very small portion which collects 355 in the well 4, will bewithdrawn.

Having thus described the invention, we claim:

A separator of the class described comprising a casing having an inletfor gas and water at one end and an outlet for gas at the opposite end,a water outlet pipe secured within the casing with one end at the bottomthere of, branch pipes leading from said water out let pipe through aside 01'? the casing, a valve casing secured on the lower end of saidwater outlet pipe and flared downwardly, a needle valve arranged to seatupwardly within the valve casing, an arm projecting laterally from thevalve casing a link depending from said arm, a lever pivoted to saidlink and extending across and pivoted to the lower end of the valve, afloat lever fulcrumed on the water outlet pipe above the valve casing,and a link connecting one end of the float lever with the correspondingend of the valve lever.

In testimony whereoi we aflix our signatures.

NOAH H. ROBINSON. [n s.] JOHN C. BROWNING. [n LEWIS A. SMITH. [n s]

